Boot and overshoe caddy

ABSTRACT

A CADDY FOR DRYING BOOTS, OVERSHOES AND THE LIKE IS DISCLOSED WHICH CONSISTS OF A RECTANGULAR TRAY CARRY ING A PLURALITY OF REMOVABLE WICKET-SHAPED BOOT-CARRYING MEMBERS. UP-   WARDLY PROJECTING RIDGES ARE FORMED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE TRAY TO ELEVATE THE BOOTS FROM WATER AND MUD WHILE DRAINING.

United States Patent Harold E. Phillips Hopkins, Minn.

Apr. 15. 1970 June 28, 1971 St. Paul Brass Foundry Company St. Paul, Minn.

lnventor Appl No. Filed Patented Assignee BOOT AND OVERSHOE CADDY 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 211/37, 21 1/181 Int. Cl A47f 7/08 Fieldoi Search 21 l/34,35,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Coffin Dom Laube Blakslee ONeill Andrews Yentis Schumacher Primary Examiner-Ni1e C. Byers, Jr. Attorney-Merchant & Gould 2l1/37X 211/181X 211/181X 211/181X 21l/34X 211/181X 219/19 2ll/181X ABSTRACT: A caddy for drying boots, overshoes and the like is disclosed which consists ofa rectangular tray carrying a plurality of removable wicket-shaped boot-carrying members. Upwardly projecting ridges are formed in the bottom of the tray to elevate the boots from water and mud while draining.

PATENIEDJUN28I97I 3,587,865

I 7 INVENTOR.

flmoLof. P/r/zuPs AT TOR/11E YS BOOT AND OVERSHOE CADDY The invention is related to caddies for boots, overshoes and the like onto which such footgear may be placed for draining and drying.

Devices of this type are extremely useful in climates where rain and snow prevail, since it is desirable to keep the floor as dry as possible while simultaneously drying the overshoes for storage or further usage. However, no climate requires use of the device all the time, and consequently, the device better serves its purpose if it can be easily disassembled and occupies very little space when in storage. This factor is also important from the standpoint of packaging prior to sale ofthe device.

This is a problem of some difficulty since the overshoe caddy must be of a minimum size to handle several pairs of overshoes. It is also a problem since a device which is quickly and easily disassembled must also be strong enough to provide the desired function and withstand repeated disassembly and assembly.

Because overshoe caddies are exposed to many forms of mud and dirt in addition to water, it is also desirable that the caddy be easily emptied and cleaned when it is full or prior to putting it away. Other features desirable in a device of this type are simplicity and ease of manufacture, low cost of manufacture, lightness in weight and resistant to wear and corrosion.

The boot and overshoe caddy embodying my invention offers all these features, whereas no prior art device is nearly as versatile to the best of my knowledge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a boot and overshoe caddy embodying the inventive principle;

FIG. 2 is an end sectional view of the boot and overshoe caddy taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, also disclosing the mounting ofa boot thereon; and

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the boot and overshoe caddy taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1, part thereof being broken away.

DESCRIPTION OF THE preferred EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, a boot and overshoe caddy is represented generally by the numeral 11. Serving as a base for caddy 11 is a rectangularly shaped tray 12 which is preferred vacuum-formed plastic or a similar lightweight material. Tray 12 has a raised peripheral edge 13 which defines a water-collecting portion for retaining accumulated snow, ice, water and mud draining from boots and overshoes. Projecting upwardly from the bottom of tray 13 are a plurality of raised portions or ridges 14 which elevate the boots from accumulated water and mud.

Also projecting upwardly from the bottom of tray 12 are a plurality of aligned members 15 in which receptacles 16 are formed. A plastic lug 17 is insertable into each of the receptacles l6 and is secured in place as by bonding or the like. As the respective figures indicate, the lugs 17 are aligned in pairs and a bore is formed in each to receive one end of a wicket-shaped boot-carrying member 18. As best shown in FIG. 2, the ends of wicket members 18 are bent to facilitate insertion into and removal from lugs 17.

Also as shown in FIG. 2, wicket members 18 extend a predetermined height to permit proper elevation of a boot or overshoe 19 which enables proper drainage and drying thereof.

It is evident that the preferred embodiment could be modified without departing from the inventive concept. For example, it would be expedient to form the lugs 17 integrally with tray 12. It is not essential that the boot and overshoe-carrying members 18 be wicket-shaped or formed from wire or similar material. The significant features of boot-carrying members 18 reside not in their structural details, but rather in removability from tray 12 and dimensional flatness which permits space-free and simple storage after removal. When in its disassembled state, the emptying of mud and water and the subsequent cleaning ofcaddy 11 is thus a simple task.

lclaim:

1. A caddy for draining boots, overshoes and the like, comprising:

a. a horizontal base having raised peripheral edges to define a water-collectin g tray;

b. a plurality of elongated ridges projecting upwardly from the base; and

c. a plurality of upstanding boot-carrying members, each having at least one downwardly projecting supporting end which is removably connected to said base.

2. The boot and overshoe caddy as defined by claim 1, wherein a plurality of bores are formed in selected elongated ridges, the downwardly projecting supporting end of each of the boot-carrying members being insertable into one of said bores.

3. The boot and overshoe caddy as defined by claim 2, wherein:

a. each boot-carrying member comprises a wicket having a pair of downwardly projecting supporting ends; and

b. a pair of bores are provided for each of the boot-carrying members.

4. The boot and overshoe caddy as defined by claim 3, wherein the wickets are formed from wire.

5. The boot and overshoe caddy as defined by claim 2, wherein:

a. receptacles are formed in said selected elongated ridges;

and

b. a lug is disposed in each of the receptacles, said bores being formed in the respective lugs.

6. The boot and overshoe caddy as defined by claim 5, wherein the base is rectangular in shape and said receptacles are aligned to enable the boot-carrying members to stand in rows. 

